Sol and Ghost
by kbaycolt
Summary: Based off the prompt: What if a superhero and supervillain are roommates and have to lie to each other about their injuries? Plot twist, they're also attracted to one another. Solangelo, rated T for depression and character death
1. Chapter 1

There was a soft knock on Will Solace's apartment door. He opened it to be met with a pale face and onyx eyes.

"Is this Will's apartment?" he asked nervously.

Will nodded. "You must be Nico di Angelo."

Nico licked his lips anxiously. "Yeah."

"Come on in," Will said, stepping out of the doorway.

Nico shouldered his bag and followed. He tossed his bag onto the empty bed and started to unpack.

"I've never had a roommate before," Will commented, opening a cabinet. "We'll have loads of fun."

Nico grimaced. "Uh, sure." He ran a hand through his hair and said, "Just a couple things you should know." He took a deep breath. "Sometimes I disappear for long stretches of time, so don't freak out if I'm not here for a couple of days. I'm Italian, and don't question me anymore about my past."

Will looked slightly confused at that.

"Also, my friends are weird. Don't judge them." Nico cleared his throat. "I'm kind of introverted, so don't get all butthurt if I don't talk to you."

"Alright," Will said. "I can live with those conditions." He flashed a dazzling smile. "My friends are odd too. Don't worry."

Nico half-heartedly chuckled and began rifling through his stuff, obviously done talking.

"Speaking of friends," Will continued. "I'm going to a party with them tomorrow. Do you want to come?"

Nico shrugged.

"It's just us," Will assured him. "Nothing too crazy."

"Fine," Nico muttered.

"Great!" Will clapped his hands in excitement. "See you there!"

Nico grumbled something sarcastic before putting in earbuds and curling up under his pitch black sheets.

* * *  
"So you're still coming, right?" Will questioned him.

"Yes, Solace," Nico snapped. "For the hundredth time." Nico zipped up his aviator jacket and trudged out, not even bothering to brush his hair.

Will trailed after him, a bright yellow scarf wrapped around his neck. He hopped into a car, and after a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Do you need a ride?"

Nico sighed. "I guess." He climbed into the passenger seat.

"Buckle up," Will reminded him.

Nico sighed again and clicked the buckle into arrived at Cecil's apartment a couple minutes later. Will marched up to the door and swung it right open.

Nico heard a squeal of surprise, and Will was enveloped in a hug. A girl with a streak of purple in her hair grinned widely.

"Hey Will!"

"Hi Lou," he replied.

Lou peered over his shoulder. "Who's this?"

"My roommate," Will said. "Nico di Angelo."

Nico offered a small wave.

"What's up?" She said with a nod. "Come in!"

Inside the apartment, the floor was covered in blue carpet, a TV and couch was pushed into the corner, a disco ball was hanging from the ceiling, and the counters were stocked full of what looked suspiciously like cups of kool-aid. The room was washed in warm yellow light, and the air smelled vaguely like apple cider. Nico inhaled the scent, comparing it to the fresh smell of his own apartment.

"Make yourselves at home!" a boy(presumably Cecil) exclaimed, gesturing wildly with his arms. "Because I'm lonely…"

Lou smacked him playfully. "Oh, shut it."

"Yeah, she's right," he conceded. "I'm not lonely." A smirk crossed his face. "The voices in my head keep me company."

Lou smacked him again. "Help yourselves to a drink. It's fruit punch, don't worry."

Nico took a small sip out of a cup, surprised to find it was still cold. Cecil started blasting pop music and dancing like a maniac.

"Cecil!" Lou scolded. "You're not a monkey!"

He giggled, resembling a psychopath, and took another swig of coke that he pulled from the fridge. He grabbed Will's hands and yanked him into a dance. Will sent Nico a pleading look before Cecil spun him around.

Nico chuckled. Suddenly his phone rang, emitting a whistling tune. He held it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Nico," a low voice said. "Are you free?"

"Leo?" Nico knew if Leo was calling, something must be up. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Leo replied. "We were just thinking of hitting the bank on 47th street."

Nico glanced back at the others, who were in the middle of fighting over the music.

"Alright," he said quietly. "I'll come up with a distraction."

Leo Valdez was Nico's mechanic and right hand man. Nico was… A super, to put it lightly. The city was ruled by supers, or rather, one. He was known as Ghost, and he had only one rival who dubbed himself Sol.

"Katie's getting worse," Leo added. "Travis is on the verge of a panic attack."

"Okay, okay. I'll see you there." Nico hung up quickly. He walked over to Will and nudged him.

Will smiled brilliantly. "Hey Nico. Having fun?"

"Sure. Anyway, I'm not feeling too good, so I'm going to head home."

Will nodded in understanding. "I get it. Do you need a ride back?"

Nico shook his head. "I can walk. I need to stop by the store anyway, so I won't be home until later."

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

"Bye." Nico practically tripped out of the door, eager to be free of the suffocating atmosphere. He called Leo back and talked quietly, his footfalls the only sound. "We need to be quick about this. My roommate might get suspicious."

"I got you, Death Boy."

"Don't call me that," Nico snapped. "Remember who I am?"

He heard Leo gulp on the other end. "Right, sir. I'm disabling the cameras right now."

Leo hung up, leaving Nico alone. He backed into a nearby alley and raised his hands.

Shadows swirled around him, solidifying into pure black armor and a helm that covered most of his face, leaving only his eyes and mouth visible. A black sword appeared in his hand, shining under the streetlamps. Nico rolled his shoulders before slipping backwards into the shadows.

He landed neatly behind Leo, who was crouching by a control panel and fiddling with the wires.

"Hey boss," Leo greeted.

"Valdez," Nico said, bowing his head.

"Travis and Conner should be here soon," Leo muttered distractedly. "Who knows what they're up to."

"Probably robbing a candy store or something."

The door flew open, and two grinning twins entered.

"And the party-"

"-has arrived!"

They traded off sentences, which was strange to everyone who didn't know them.

"Speak of the devils and they shall appear," Leo chuckled lightly.

Nico raised a finger to his lips. "Hush."

Instantly, the three other supers shut up, knowing full well the consequences.

"Hey man, Katie will be alright," Connor assured Travis, who was frowning. "Why don't you go see what you can screw up outside?"

Travis mumbled something and walked out.

"He's been having a hard time," Connor explained. "He really loves her."

"I know," Nico replied tersely. "We've all had a hard time." For a moment he considered he was being too harsh, but he had a reputation to sustain.

Connor wilted for a moment but then straightened, a determined smile on his face. "I slip in and out, no alarms, no trouble."

"I'll mask you," Nico said. "And Valdez will keep the cameras dead until we're out."

Leo grinned, tying a red mask over his face. "And that's Feugo to you, sunshine."

"Chiuderlo." Nico adjusted his armor.

When everyone gave him a confused look, he sighed.

"Honestly, you think I try to slip into Italian? You just frustrate me to the core."

Leo smiled. "Just like I start talking in spanish when I'm stressed, right?"

Nico gave him a curt nod. "Let's get this over with."

Leo waggled his eyebrows. "No one is here, Ghost. It's midnight. And no is going to be."

"Sol."

The name brought an uneasy silence down on the trio.

Connor coughed. "Uh, doesn't Sol usually work during the daytime?"

"I work best in the night," Nico retorted. "And I still confront him in the day."

"Okay…" Connor intervened, diffusing the tense atmosphere. "Ghost, cover me."

Nico flicked his hand, and shadows engulfed Connor. The mass of darkness moved quickly down the hall, turning left and out of sight.

Leo held a small screen in his hand. "This'll follow him," he said, turning some dials until a grainy image spluttered to life.

Connor's dark form arrived in front of a massive bank vault, wringing his hands in excitement. He fiddled with the knob before it swung open. He started greedily piling money into his bag and pockets, as much as he could carry. Then he sprinted out of the vault, knowing full well that Leo couldn't hide them forever.

Connor burst back into the room, a maniacal smile on his face. "Come on!"

Nico grabbed the two of them and vanished, leaping out of the shadows in an alley where Travis was waiting.

Leo pumped his fist. "Success!"

Nico resisted the urge to slap him into silence. Instead he nodded to Connor and Travis, who were eagerly counting the money.

"Go home," Nico ordered.

They scampered off like thieves(which they sort of were).

"You better go too," Nico said to Leo.

"I'm kind of bored actually…" Leo shifted nervously. "Could I maybe stop by your place?"

Nico let out a long sigh. He let his armor dissolve back into shadows, his face mask falling away. "I guess."

Leo grinned so wide that Nico feared his face would shatter. "Thanks!"

As they walked down the road, Leo wiggled his fingers as flames danced across them.

"Stop that," Nico hissed. "Someone could see you."

Leo made a _pfft_ sound before extinguishing the fire. "Buzzkill," he mumbled.

Nico was quite tempted to summon a skeleton and trip Leo, but he forced himself to continue walking.

They stopped in front of the apartment.

"Will is probably back by now," Nico said, talking to no one in particular. He stuck the key in the lock and twisted. Inside, Will was curled up under his blankets, fast asleep. Nico gestured for Leo to be quiet as they snuck into the kitchen.

He rifled through some cabinets before pulling out a box of cereal. "There isn't much else," he said sheepishly.

Leo rolled his eyes and grabbed the cereal. "Are you kidding? I love cheerios!" Leo poured himself a bowl and sat down.

Nico joined him moments later, an apple in his hand. Will turned over in his sleep, causing Nico to wince.

"He doesn't know anything, right?" Leo asked, jutting a thumb in the direction of the sleeping boy.

"Of course not!" Nico snapped. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"No no," Leo said quickly. "Just making sure." With another glance around the room, he declared, "Not too shabby decorating, although your side looks depressing."

Truth be told, Nico's color scheme consisted of black, grey, and very little white.

"Whatever," he said with a scowl.

Leo inspected his watch. "Would you look at the time! I better get going."

As he skipped out of the door, he flashed a grin at Nico.

"Sleep tight, Death Boy!"

"Don't call me that."

But he was already gone.

* * *  
"Rise and shine," Will said gently.

Nico groaned and rolled over. "Go away," he said, his voice muffled from the pillows.

"The sun is up," Will urged.

Nico eventually got up, packed his bag, and ran out before Will could get in a word otherwise. He headed straight for the hospital to check on Connor and Travis. He found them on one of the upper floors, watching a frail girl on a bed.

"Don't worry," Travis was murmuring. "We have enough money now. We can perform the surgery."

Nico leaned against the doorframe, feeling slightly out of place.

Connor noticed him and gave him a grim smile. "Hey di Angelo."

"I guess super wounds are hard to heal," he commented.

"I guess." Connor gazed at her sadly. "I feel so bad for him, you know?"

"I'm not going to lie and say I do." Nico scuffled the ground with his boot. "But I know what it's like to lose someone, and I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone." He grinned slyly. "Even Sol."

Connor threw his hands in the air. "It's always Sol this, Sol that, with you. If you could just kill him already instead of letting him retreat, you wouldn't be so hung up over him."

Nico shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Maybe I should. But then what would I do? What is a supervillain without a nemesis?"

Connor seemed at a loss for words, and Nico took that opportunity to stroll back out of the hospital.

He had barely made it two feet before bumping into a doctor.

"Sorry," he mumbled, stepping aside.

The doctor didn't move, and just crossed his arms.

Nico tilted his head to look him in the eye, and was startled to find piercing blue staring at him.

"S-Solace!" he stammered. "I didn't know you worked here."

Will laughed. "Yeah, I'm a part-time student. What are you doing here?"

"Some of my friends are visiting," he said casually. "I came to support them."

Understanding dawned on the blonde's face.

"Ah. Well, I'll be going. See you tonight!" And with that, Will turned and walked down the hall, his boots clicking all the while.

Nico began jogging the moment he stepped out of the sterile white building, eager to get away from the near encounter with his roommate.

His feet took him to a graveyard, one which he unfortunately recognized. He pushed past the gate and walked down the rows of headstones, listening to the quiet whispers of dead spirits.

He reached the far end, a corner where shadows were abundant. He eased himself into a sitting position near the newest grave.

 **Bianca di Angelo**

 **Age 12**

 **"Il mio piccolo soldatino"**

He patted the dirt before saying, "I finally got my roommate. His name is Will Solace, and he certainly acts like a ball of sunshine."

He got no response, which he was expecting, but he still felt a twinge of grief at the silence.

"Katie doesn't have long, and I just robbed a freaking bank for those twins." He sighed. "I don't know if I can keep doing this, Sorella. Living like a criminal, hiding my identity? It's so hard, I just…" He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I just don't know."

Then, he heard a soft whisper from behind him. "Don't know what?"

Nico whipped around to see a young girl sitting in the grass, weaving flowers with her nimble fingers. She shimmered in direct sunlight, leading him to believe she was a ghost.

"Nothing," he replied.

"My king," she began, "My name is Olympia. I died here." She pointed at the ground beneath his feet.

"But I don't have a grave." She tilted her head sadly. "I guess they didn't think I was important as her." She gestured enviously at Bianca's headstone.

"Of course you are," Nico said. "Every soul is important."

She slowly shook her head. "Not all of us." She glanced back at the other graves. "Many others did not get the closure they deserve. Stuck in limbo between moving on and staying here."

She plucked another flower from the ground and started knitting it into a crown. "But a lot of them are afraid to go," she admitted. "Afraid that they will be sent to punishment."

"Nico gently nodded. "I can give you closure," he said quietly.

She brightened at his statement. "Really? I mean…" She looked down bashfully at her feet. "Others need it more than I."

"Don't be silly," Nico teased. "I'll get to them all in time."

She grinned and stood. She bent over him and placed the flower crown on his head.

"Thank you," she whispered, her breath cool.

Nico found himself smiling back. "No problem." He raised his hand and muttered, "Tu hai la mia benedizione per Elysium."

 _You have my blessing for Elysium._

She closed her eyes and dissolved, her transparent hands tousling his hair before she vanished completely, whisked away on the warm breeze.

"Whoa!" a new voice exclaimed.

Nico looked up and was met with sea green eyes and raven black hair.

"Were you talking to a ghost?" the teen asked excitedly.

"Uh, no."

"Yes you were!" The boy insisted.

"What's it to you, kid?" Nico snapped.

He wasn't even fazed. "My name is Percy, not kid, and I think it's really cool you can talk to ghosts."

"I'm Nico," he said after a moment. "What are you doing in a graveyard?"

"What are you doing in a graveyard? I'm the same age as you, if not older, so don't treat me like a little kid."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Alright. I was visiting my sister."

Percy's eyes flicked to the grave, becoming comically wide. "Oh. Sorry."

"It's okay," he dismissed. "Anyway, why are you here?"

"I was talking to my step dad," Percy said, his expression turning serious. "He died last year."

Nico picked the flower crown off of his head and placed it on top of Bianca's headstone, then got to his feet. "Let's go talk to him together," Nico said, smiling warmly.

Percy grinned right back, leading him over to a bright sunny patch where a crumbling grave was sitting.

"Hi Paul," Percy said quietly.

 **Paul Blofis**

 **Age 34**

 **"It's Blofis, not blowfish!"**

"He always managed to make a joke out of everything," Percy explained. "That was one thing my mother loved about him."

"Bianca could comfort anyone. If you depressed, she would smile and you would feel like a huge weight had lifted from your chest." Nico unconsciously rubbed the spot over his heart. "I speak from experience."

Percy knelt in the dirt and pulled a small coin from his pocket. He wedged it into the soil, making sure it stuck.

"He collected greek drachmas," Percy said, dusting himself off. "That was his last one."

They stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Percy chuckled darkly. "My mom always said I was special, you know? But look at how my life has turned out."

Nico's eyes flew open at that. His mother had called him special too, because she knew he was a super. Maybe Percy was…

"Percy?" he asked hesitantly. "Has anything… Weird, happened to you?"

Percy thought for second and nodded. "In sixth grade, some girl was insulting my best friend, and the water fountain exploded." He paused, then continued. "Later that year, someone was trying to shove my head in a toilet, and the pipes blew up, drenching them, while I was dry."

Nico could feel excitement blooming in his mind. "Anything else?"

"I was cut up pretty bad a few years ago, and I fell into the creek. All of my scratches disappeared."

Nico was now completely sure that Percy was a super with some control over water.

"You know about supers, right?"

The question knocked Percy off guard. He frowned slightly. "Yeah. Only the famous ones, like Spark, Ghost, and Sol."

"What if I told you," Nico said. "That I was a super?"

Percy raised an eyebrow, but didn't look surprised. "Talking to ghosts isn't normal, so I kind of guessed." Then Percy grinned childishly. "What's your name?"

Nico swallowed. "Ghost."

Percy froze. The gears seemed to be turning in his head, locking into place and forming a conclusion. "You're a criminal."

It was a statement, not a question.

"Maybe," Nico said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You-" Percy took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. I'm talking to a mass murderer. Okay."

"I didn't kill those people," Nico grumbled, slightly annoyed. "It was accident."

"Okay. Say that I believe you. Why did you tell me?"

"Because you're like me. You're a super too."

Percy blanched, stepping back and almost tripping over a root. "I'm- I can't be- I-"

"You can control water," he said bluntly. "Who's your father? Poseidon?"

Percy nodded. "H-How did you know?"

"He's the only water super I know of," Nico said, walking towards the exit. "And it just made sense."

"Can you help me?" Percy asked suddenly. "To control my powers, I mean."

Nico smirked. "I can. Though I recommend you find someone named Leo Valdez. He's a lot better at these things than me."

Percy scribbled something on a piece of paper and thrust it into his hand. "Call me, please?"

Nico glanced at the number. "Alright."

Percy flashed him a toothy grin before sprinting down the street and towards the ocean.

"Don't be reckless!" Nico called half-heartedly after him. After a look at his watch, he walked the lonely road back to his apartment.

Will wasn't there yet, and Nico closed all the curtains, preferring the dark.

He put in his earbuds and curled up under the covers, and fell asleep to soft music.

Warm sunlight filtered through the shades, making Nico groan in discomfort. He got up quietly and closed the curtains, relishing the darkness. On the other side of the room, Will mumbled in his sleep and rolled over.

Nico served himself a bowl of cereal, eager to get out of stifling room. He pulled on his aviator jacket and was about to open the door when Will opened his eyes and smiled sleepily.

"Nico," he slurred, half-asleep.

"Hey Solace." Nico smoothed his hair over with three fingers. "Rise and shine."

"You aren't allowed to use my jokes against me," Will muttered. "What time is it?"

"It's almost eight fifty."

Will sat up like he had been shocked. "Crap!" he exclaimed, hopping out of bed and scrambling for his clothes. "I have a shift at nine," he explained. "Gods, Kayla will never let me live this down."

"Kayla?"

"My half-sister. She's a nurse." Will pushed past Nico with an apologetic glance. "Bye!"

Nico watched the door in silence for a minute before following suit and stepping into the warm August air.

His feet led him to McDonald's, where he ordered some fries and sat down.

His thoughts drifted to Katie, then Travis, and then finally settling on Percy.

A new super? It was uncommon, but not unheard of. There were plenty of supers who hid their identity from others.

An amused smile crawled up his face when he thought about what Percy would want to name himself.

He made a mental note to call him Aquaman when he got the chance.

Speak of the devil.

A mop of raven black hair appeared in the doors, and he was accompanied by a blonde.

Nico's heart soared when he thought it was Will, but he realized that there were many differences between the two. Then he mentally smacked himself for thinking that way.

Percy spotted him and waved, wearing an ever-present bright smile. He tugged on the blonde's arm and sat down next to Nico.

"Hey," Percy said. "Fancy meeting you here."

The blonde lightly shoved him. "Don't be stupid."

"This is Jason," Percy said, ignoring him. "Jason Grace."

Nico's throat closed up.

Jason Grace. Son of _Jupiter_. He was the son of the most powerful super to ever be born, and Percy obviously had no clue.

Jason shook his hand, and Nico's attention was drawn to the small scar on his lip. "Where'd you get that?" he blurted out.

Jason laughed. "I tried to eat a stapler when I two. Didn't work out, let me tell you that."

Percy eyed his french fries. "Are you going to eat those?"

"I guess not." Nico pushed the fries over to Percy, who devoured them hungrily.

"Slow down," Jason chided. "You're going to choke."

Percy stuck out his tongue, and few fries fell out. Nico rubbed his temples.

Suddenly Jason winked at Nico. "So. Ghost, right?"

Nico almost spat out his drink. "W-What?" He shot an accusing glare at Percy. "You told him?"

Percy shrugged. "I mean, he's a super too, so it doesn't really matter."

Nico fought the urge to reach over the table and strangle the son of Poseidon. "I would kill you," he said nonchalantly, picking at his fingernails. "But unfortunately it seems we would have witnesses, and we can't have that."

Percy paled and inched backwards.

Nico dropped the glare and smirked."I didn't think you'd be that easy to scare."

"Whatever." Percy chuckled weakly.

Nico changed the topic to avoid an awkward silence. "So why are you here?"

"I'm helping Jackson master his powers," Jason said.

"Ah." Nico absently traced circles on the wood table, black lines forming where he touched. "So you've taken my job?"

"I thought we could help him together," Jason suggested. "So he can have two supers helping him."

"Do you think that is wise?" Nico inquired. "It would certainly raise suspicion."

"I know about an abandoned school that we could go to."

Nico pondered this for a moment before reluctantly nodded. "But," he said, holding up a finger. "I need you to swear on the Styx that you won't give out my identity."

"Only if you do the same."

"I swear on the Styx I will not disclose your identity, Spark."

Jason's face split into a grin. "I swear on the Styx I will not disclose your identity, Ghost."

"What's the Styx?" Percy interrupted.

"An ancient river where the first supers were born," Nico said impatiently. His phone beeped, and he held it up to his ear.

"Valdez? What do you want?"

Jason and Percy noticed he used considerably more venom than usual.

"Uh, sir, something's happening downtown."

"What?"

"I think Sol is in the middle of fighting Spark's sister. What was her name? Huntress?"

"Why does that concern me?"

"I think you should help her out." Leo's voice shook slightly.

"Fine," Nico snapped. "Tell her I'm on my way."

"Aye aye, sir."

Nico ended the call. He glanced at Percy and Jason, who were gazing at him curiously.

"I gotta go," he said quickly. "See you later." Then he fell back into his own shadow and vanished.

He came out in an alley that was littered with rubble. Two people were facing each other, wearing contrasting types of clothing.

Sol adorned a bright yellow tunic and a white mask that covered his face, a golden bow in his hands.

Huntress was wearing a black leather jacket with metal studs, a silver bow on her back and a shield in her hand. She was glaring daggers at Sol as electricity sparked around her.

"If Ghost can't defeat me," Sol was saying, "Than how can you?"

Huntress gritted her teeth and ground her heel into the dirt. "He holds back. I don't."

"Don't assume his gender," Sol teased, wiping a smudge off of his arrow.

Nico felt his sword materialize in his hand, the area becoming darker as it did. He covered his face with a piece of cloth and stepped into view.

"Am I really that popular?" he said, lazily twisting his skull ring.

Huntress faced him, a smirk creeping up her cheeks. "You're late to the party."

Sol huffed. "This isn't your fight, Ghost!"

"Aw, I'm hurt," Nico said sarcastically, taking another step towards the pair.

Sol aimed his arrow defensively. "Don't move."

Nico grinned psychotically. "Alright, alright." Fast as lightning, he splayed his fingers, and the shadows around him erupted. The darkness churned and bubbled like lava, surrounding Nico and protecting him.

Sol reacted immediately, glowing brightly as he tried to banish the darkness. Huntress stood off to the side with an amused expression.

Nico flung himself at Sol, bringing his sword down hard. Sol leaped back, narrowly avoiding death.

"Fight back!" Nico snarled.

"Can't you just leave?" Sol pleaded, firing off round after round of golden arrows. "Leave this to us!"

Huntress, acting bored with the battle, flicked her wrist, and a massive bolt of lightning struck the ground at Sol's feet, blowing him back several yards.

"You're welcome, di Angelo," she said, winking at Nico.

He gaped at her. "How did you…?"

"Oh, Jason tells me everything. I'm Thalia, by the way." She smoothed down her jet black hair. "I hope we meet again." Then she sprinted down the street, leaving Nico to deal with Sol.

Said super got to his feet, a murderous look on his face. "I didn't think the almighty Ghost would stoop to cheating."

"Cheating? I think you mean moral support from a mutual," Nico said, enjoying the confused look that Sol was giving him. It wasn't that bad to have a big vocabulary sometimes.

Sol said nothing and instead raised his fingers to his lips and let out an ear-piercing whistle.

Nico groaned and clasped his hands over his ears in pain. Sol took that opportunity to kick his sword away.

"Dirty trick, sunshine," Nico muttered. Then he knelt down and slammed his hands into the concrete.

The ground rumbled and shook, cracks appearing on the surface and forcing Sol to dodge. The undead crawled up from the ravines and converged on Sol, pushing him back and allowing Nico to retrieve his sword.

"That's your plan, huh?" Sol shouted. "Will you hide among the dead, as you always do?"

 **Will you hide among the dead, as you always do?**

Nico froze, a sick feeling in his gut as he was hit with a flashback.

 _All around Nico, the ground shifted. The grass withered, and the stones cracked as if something was moving in the earth beneath, trying to push its way through._

 _"Give us Diocletian's scepter," Nico said. "We don't have time for games."_

Games?

 _Cupid struck, slapping Nico sideways into a granite pedestal._

Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work - a quest that never ends. It demands everything from you - especially the truth. Only then does it yield rewards.

 _If this invisible guy was Love, he was beginning to think Love was overrated. Aphrodite's version he could understand. Cupid seemed more like a thug, and enforcer._

 _"Nico!" Leo called. "What does this guy want from you?"_

Tell him, Nico di Angelo. Tell him you are a coward, afraid of yourself and your feelings. Tell him the real reason you ran from Camp Half-Blood, and why you are always alone.

 _Nico let loose a guttural scream. The ground at his feet split open and skeletons crawled forth; dead romans with missing hands and caved-in skulls, cracked ribs, and jaws unhinged. Some were dressed in the remnants of togas. Others has glinting pieces of armor hanging off their chests._

Will you hide among the dead, as you always do? _Cupid taunted._

 _Nico's roman skeletons surged forward and grappled with something invisible. The super struggled, flinging the dead aside, breaking off ribs and skull, but the skeletons kept coming, pinning the super's arms._

Interesting! _Cupid said._

Do you have the strength, after all?

All the fight went out of him, all at once. He collapsed to his knees, rubbing his eyes furiously.

Sol had destroyed the skeletons, and was regarding him warily.

Whispers surrounded Nico.

 _Unwanted._

 _Freak._

 _You don't belong._

 _Coward._

 _Alone._

"Shut up," he muttered, clutching his head tightly. "Shut up!"

Sol was beginning to feel slightly worried for his opponent.

"I get it!" Nico screamed suddenly, his broken gaze falling on Sol. "I've had enough people telling me how worthless I am!"

Several emotions were flitting across Sol's face. He didn't trust him, but he still felt a pang of pity for the anguished super.

"You aren't…" Sol searched for the right words. "Everyone has a purpose."

"Don't give me that crap," Nico growled. His blank mask settled back over his face. "Same time tomorrow?" He stood, snatched his sword away, and melted into the shadows, leaving Sol lost and confused.

"Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" Nico kicked the wall, ignoring the throbbing pain in his foot. "Great time to have a flashback. Now Sol feels bad for me? Even worse!"

He paced around in an abandoned school, too angry to care about his destination.

The whispers made it worse:

 _Weak._

 _Abnormal._

 _How can you live with yourself?_

"It's not wrong," he tried to assure himself. "Outlooks has changed since the 1930's."

 _Disgusting._

 _Mentally ill._

"No! That's not true!" Nico screwed his eyes shut until he saw stars.

Before he knew it, tears were pouring down his cheeks and mixing with the dust on the floor.

"It can't be true." His voice dropped to a whisper. All his barriers and mental walls came tumbling down, revealing the truly self-berating feelings beneath. "It can't."


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note - Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story! It means a lot.**

 **To Mia - I'm glad you liked it! I'll certainly take your idea into account. I already have some thoughts... :)**

 **Leo is OOC for this story's purposes. This chapter starts out fluffy, but gets sad at the end. It's also a tad short.**

 **Enjoy.**

Nico didn't return to his apartment that night, and instead reluctantly knocked on Leo's door.

The scrawny seventeen-year-old flung open the door, almost smacking Nico in the face.

"Death Boy?"

"What have I told you?" Nico growled irritably. "Don't call me that."

Leo grinned. "Alright, alright. So what are you doing here?" Leo leaned close. "Is it about the battle earlier today?"

Nico slowly nodded, and Leo moved to the side. "What are you waiting for? My house is always open to you."

As soon as Nico stepped inside, Leo locked the door and pulled him into a hallway.

"Now, here's the thing," he began, "My mom doesn't know I have... You know..." Leo sighed. "Friends. She doesn't think I have any friends. So just tell her you're working on a project at school with me. She'll be elated."

"Okay."

Leo led him to a small kitchen with a squat stove and dusty refrigerator. Leo glanced at Nico, almost nervously.

"It's not much," Leo admitted, tracing a smiley face on the metal. "Sorry."

Nico waved him off. "I used to live in worse conditions. At least you have a place, right?"

Leo chuckled, but it was half-hearted. "Are you-" he cleared his throat. "-hungry?"

"Valdez," Nico said gently, but stern. "You don't have to cater to me. At work, maybe, but not in the comfort of your own home."

Leo seemed relieved by these words. "Okay. So what happened? I didn't get a chance to drop by."

"Well, I confronted him," Nico said, easing himself into a chair. "And Huntress somehow knew my identity. Probably because her idiot brother got told by an idiot Jackson."

"Oh, Percy? He came by the other day."

"Anyway, it was the usual playful banter at first, but then Sol said something that made me remember a not-so-nice part of my past." Nico rubbed his temples.

Leo narrowed his eyes. "He didn't mention your sis-"

"No," Nico cut him off. "Do you recall when we first met, in Rome?"

Leo nodded, and realization dawned in his eyes. "Oh. You mean when we ran into-" Leo gulped. "-Cupid?"

The Italian clenched his jaw. "I had a flashback. He got rid of my skeletons, and I could tell by the look in his eyes that he pitied me." Nico's fingers curled into a fist, and the temperature dropped a couple degrees. "I don't need anymore pity."

"Of course not," said Leo quickly, fearing Nico's anger, and for good reason. "But I mean, anyone would be worried in his situation, arch-nemesis regardless."

"Whatever." Nico took to absently drumming the table with his knuckles. Truth be told, he wasn't angry at Sol. He was angry at himself for being weak.

Suddenly Leo frowned, looking down at his watch. "My mom should've been home by now. Her shift ends at 5:00."

"Traffic?" Nico suggested.

Leo shook his end. "It's not rush hour yet." Leo stood abruptly, pushing his chair back and making Nico wince at the awful screech sounding from the wood flooring. "Something must be wrong."

"There are loads of things that could have happened," Nico said. "Maybe she stopped to get food."

Leo looked like he was going to be sick. "She would never do something without telling me. She always notifies me."

Then Nico's phone rang. He held it to his ear, worried about what he might hear.

"DI ANGELO!" someone shouted.

"Travis?"

"Thank the gods you answered." Travis sounded extremely panicked, and there were crackling noises on the other end. "We need you!"

"Why? I'm a villain, not a hero."

Travis let out a stream of colorful curse words. "I swear, if you don't get your sorry butt over here right this instant, I will-"

He was cut off by a woman's scream.

"Fine, where are you?" Nico was irritated at Travis' mindset that Nico was some kind of vigilante.

"The mechanic shop on 42nd street. It caught fire, and someone's trapped inside."

"Mechanic shop?" Nico repeated, and Leo paled.

"That's where my mom works," he breathed.

"We're coming Stoll," Nico assured him. "Just try to keep the fire down."

He hung up quickly and held out his hand. Leo eyed him warily.

"Do you want to come or not?" Nico hissed.

After a short moment of hesitation, Leo grabbed his hand, and they leaped into the nearest shadow.

The street was in chaos. Sirens echoed in the distance, nowhere close enough. True to Travis' word, the mechanic shop was on fire, with great plumes of smoke billowing up from the building.

Leo clapped a hand over his mouth, his pupils dilating in fear.

Nico spotted Travis desperately gathering buckets of water, but it made no dent on the inferno.

"She's still in there!" Someone cried.

"Who?" Nico shouted over the blazing flames.

"Esperanza Valdez" was the reply.

If possible, Leo paled further, and his skin had taken on an unhealthy pallor.

"We need to put out that fire," Nico muttered.

"Oh really!?" Leo yelped hysterically. "We really need to put out the fire? Really!?"

Nico grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a slight shake. "Get a grip, Valdez!" The pure venom in his tone shocked Leo in silence. Nico quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a black rag, tying it around his face. "Okay, I need you to try and pull the flames away from the shop," he ordered, an air of authority surrounding him.

"Y-Yes sir," Leo stammered, and added before running off, "Save my mother. Please."

With that in mind, Nico jumped into the nearest person's shadow.

The darkness disgorged him into a room like he tasted bad, and he was immediately hit by a wall of heat. The red and orange licked up the walls, devouring everything in its path.

There was a metal table hosting all kinds of tools that Leo would know the name of. Nico wrapped himself in shadows to shield himself from being burned. He swiveled around to see a single door, which was obviously locked. He got as close as he dared and listened.

There was a faint tapping sound on the other side, and he frowned. "Morse code?" He pondered aloud.

The floor crumbled behind him, and he tried to yank the door open. He only resulted in earning himself a large red welt on his palm, which started throbbing.

Smoke was filling the room, and he felt his throat starting to itch.

"You have a job, di Angelo," he chided. He pulled off his mask and wrapped it around his hand, and then attempted the door again. This time, it swung open, and he was met with the sight of a woman on the floor, her hair in a disheveled ponytail and ash covering her face. She was curled in a fetal position, and her clothes were singed.

"Esperanza?" he asked tentatively.

There was no response.

He knelt down beside her and turned her over onto her back.

He gasped.

Scorch marks decorated her stomach and chest, and he only just noticed that she was completely still.

Lifeless.

He sighed heavily. Esperanza Valdez was dead. He gently gathered her into his arms and was engulfed by shadows, before they could be engulfed by fire.

Tumbling out into the street, he put his mask back on, despite the pain welling up in his palm. Several people starting exclaiming and rushing around him.

In an instant, Leo was beside him, kneeling next to his mother.

"Mamá?"

"Valdez," Nico tried to say, but Leo ignored him.

Leo clutched Esperanza's face, wiping the soot from her cheeks. "No," he whispered. "No, por favor!" He started crying, tears streaming down his usually smiling face. "Vuelve! No puedo vivir sin ti!" Heart wrenching sobs wracked his body as he grasped her smoldering shirt.

Nico put a hand on Leo's shoulder and murmured soft words in Italian. "Hey, listen. She's going to the afterlife. I could feel it."

This seemed to offer him some solace, and the Latino slowly detached himself from the body. He turned away, burying his face in Nico's shoulder.

Nico rubbed slow circles on his back, steering him away from the growing crowd of people.

"The police and fire department will be here soon," said Nico, tugging his mask off. "So you should probably head home."

Leo sucked in a breath. His voice wobbled as he spoke. "I-I don't have a h-home anymore. I'll p-probably get adopted b-by my aunt or s-something."

"Maybe you can stay with me," Nico said. "I'm sure Solace won't mind."

Leo didn't even attempt a smile. "Okay. Thanks."

"I'm sure the funeral will be nice," Nico said, trying to sound comforting.

Leo sniffed. "Yeah."

 **Okay guys, I have some questions for you. I'll pick the highest voted one.**

 **Who should I mention in the next chapter? Rachel or others?**

 **I won't say what their roles will be, but it'll be big.**

 **Also, who should the extra two supers be? Piper, Lou Ellen, Hazel, Frank, or Zethes?**

 **Thanks for reviewing.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here it is! Chapter Three!**

 **I've decided on Lou Ellen and Piper to be the new supers! Rachel also appears :)**

 **Onesided Rachel/Nico, but Nico swings the other way, so...**

 **Sorry if this seems rushed.**

After Esperanza's death, Leo was silent.

He stopped cracking jokes, stopped laughing. Nico was intensely worried about him, but didn't console him as much as he probably should have.

Leo slept on an air mattress next to Nico's bed, and Will got along with him pretty well.

Leo also ate a lot less. His maximum appetite might have been an apple, or some grapes.

Some days, Nico had to force him to eat.

At the funeral, Leo was too grief-stricken to cry. He stared ahead as the coffin was lowered into the ground. Nico stood beside him, frowning.

Even his hobby, fiddling with gears and wires, had diminished. Leo discarded his tool belt and threw away all of his little inventions and projects.]

"She was the only one who cared anyway" was his excuse.

Travis and Connor visited a few times, and they too were shocked at Leo's state of mind.

They tried to cheer him up, but Nico knew that nothing could heal a hole in someone's heart.

Nico was struggling too. He refused to greet Will in the morning, and instead let the derogatory voices in his head take over. He vaguely thought that it was bad for him, and he shouldn't be thinking such things, but it wasn't directly harming him, right?

Wrong.

His work ethic at McDonald's dropped, and he tonelessly said "please" and "thank you" with no real conviction. His manager noticed, and told him to take a couple days off to get himself together.

So Nico lounged at home with Leo, occasionally meeting up with Percy and Jason to work on Percy's powers.

Percy was improving, and discovered that he could communicate with sea creatures. He took great pleasure in telling them that the fish had very profane vocabularies.

Everything seemed a little too perfect for his liking, so Nico went to Starbucks instead of McDonald's for his morning routine.

And he was quite glad he did, for after ordering a latte he happened to meet a freckled red-head, splattered in paint, sitting in his seat.

"Sorry, is this yours?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah."

She shifted over so he could sit down.

"I'm Rachel," she said, smiling. "Rachel Dare."

"I'm Nico di Angelo. And is there a reason why you're covered in paint?"

She grinned. "I just finished up my painting, titled _Prophecy._ It's in a series called _Oracle._ "

"Cool." Nico found the green dot on her nose distracting. "I'm not a bad painter myself."

"Really?" Rachel propped herself up on her elbows. "Interesting."

A woman walking by them muttered something in Spanish, that Nico roughly translated to, "Beautiful young love".

He blushed, and Rachel stared at him quizzically.

"Er, nothing. So do you live around here?"

"Yup," she replied, popping the P. "Since I was eight. I worked at the art shop downtown, owned by the entrepreneur Apollo."

"Oh, I've heard of him."

They made small talk for a few more minutes before their drinks arrived.

Apparently, they both had a taste for cinnamon, because they both ordered a pumpkin spice latte.

"Now I'm a reporter," Rachel said, taking a sip. "I mainly focus on the super stories. I just want to know who they are so badly! Especially Sol."

Nico stiffened. It was probably a good idea to stop talking to her before he revealed his identity, but he had to keep up the facade.

"That's nice. I personally think that they hide their faces for a reason."

"Yeah, but some of them are criminals that should be put in jail. Ghost, for instance. He's killed people while battling Sol, and he's even robbed banks with Feugo."

"It could've been an accident," Nico suggested. Horrible guilt welled up in his chest, blocking his air passage.

"Sure," she said dismissively. "But it makes a better story if he's just evil."

"But that's not the truth," he countered.

"It might as well be!" Rachel flung her hands up in the air. "Besides, it's not like he actually cares. He'll just kill me if I find out."

Nico pressed his lips into a tight line. "Now that I think about it, I need to go. See you 'round."

He stood abruptly and strode out, his cup steaming.

Rachel's intentions were good, but her escapades would be nothing but bad news for all supers.

Nico was feeling a bit restless, so he tied his mask over his face and summoned the shadows.

Passing pedestrians shrieked and ran, screaming for the police.

"Don't go just yet!" Nico shouted, cackling gleefully. If you going to have a reputation, better flaunt it.

He stomped his foot, and the ground rippled, knocking people off their feet. The concrete split open, and the sky darkened. Nico felt all of his pent-up energy and frustration being released.

"Come on!" he yelled. "Is no one brave enough to challenge me?"

"Stop!"

Nico turned to see none other than Jason Grace himself hurtling through the air towards him.

Nico grinned widely, his eyes glinting madly, and he created a massive wall of shadows. The darkness slapped Jason out of the sky, sending him smashing into the ground.

"Hey Spark!" Nico called. "What's up?"

"Ghost," Jason panted. "What are you doing? You're abusing your powers."

There was now a definite ring of onlookers. He spotted Rachel among them, camera flashing.

Jason had his fingers poised, and wind was swirling around his face and distorting his features.

"Abusing? No, no. I'm just testing my full potential."

"Don't make me hurt you," Jason warned. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Hurt me?" Nico laughed incredulously. "I'd like to see you try."

Jason narrowed his eyes. He raised his fist to the sky, but Nico anticipated it.

He wrapped his body in shadows, and shielded himself from the blast of white-hot lightning.

"Your sister uses that trick," Nico taunted. "I think Huntress is on my side, Grace."

Crap.

He didn't mean to say Jason's surname, but it slipped out nonetheless.

Jason froze, shock and fear written on his face.

There were loud gasps from the crowd, and Rachel leaned forward eagerly.

"You swore," Jason whispered. "You swore on the Styx."

Nico backed away, his dark armor dropping away.

"Wanna play that game?" Jason shouted suddenly. "Okay then. Fight back, di Angelo!"

Rachel clapped a hand over her mouth.

Nico let out a string of colorful words that his mother would not have approved of.

"You're going to pay for that one," Nico hissed.

"Ditto," Jason spat.

There was one, two beats of silence.

And then the crowd erupted.

People were screaming, "Jason Grace? Jason Grace is the Spark?" and "Nico di Angelo is Ghost!"

Nico watched as Rachel turned and ran back towards the city, a bag slung over her shoulder. He made eye-contact with Jason, and a silent agreement passed between them.

Jason took off, flying as fast as he could to intercept the red-haired reporter.

Nico cloaked himself in shadows and appeared in front of Rachel.

She narrowly dodged, clutching her bag like her life depended on it.

Nico stuck out his foot and tripped her, sending her sprawling to the ground. Her arms were cut up, and she whimpered in pain as she cradled her probably broken finger.

"Sorry, but I can't let you disclose our identities," Nico said emotionlessly.

"Wait," Rachel gasped. "I won't tell people who you are if you give me the names of two other supers."

Nico was ready to tell, but Jason looked resigned.

"We'd be betraying our kind," Jason said. "Something I see you're _fine_ with."

"At least we'll be saving our own skins," Nico argued.

Jason sighed. "Okay."

Rachel looked up expectantly.

"The Pied Piper," Jason started. "Is named Piper McLean."

Rachel's eyes widened, and she checked that her film was rolling.

"And the Jeweler," Nico said. "Is Hazel Levesque."

Rachel didn't seem to recognize the name, which Nico was grateful for.

"Well, I think our business here is done," Rachel said, dusting herself off and wiping some blood off her elbow. "Bye!"

And she ran as fast as she could from the two seething supers.

Jason first turned his glare on Nico.

"Wow, thanks. You made me give up the identity of my girlfriend."

"And I, my sister!" Nico shot back. "You're just lucky I didn't tell her that Huntress was Thalia!"

Jason glanced around. "Shut it. People could still hear. And what are we going to do about the witnesses?"

"Just leave them be, I guess," Nico said. "It'll be taken as shock."

"If you say so."

But they had no idea that Rachel had her fingers crossed.

And even that was the least of their worries.

 **DUHN DUHN DUHN!**

 **Haha cliffhanger.**

 ***dodges thrown book***

 **Okay, I'll try to update as soon as possible. Chill, peeps.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took me so long to update. I'm really lazy, if you can tellllllllll**

 **This chapter will have more Solangelo and cuteness :)**

* * *

The very first thing Nico did(as soon as Jason was gone) was leap into the nearest shadow and emerge in his apartment. Leo merely glanced at him upon his arrival.

"Leo," Nico gasped. "We've got trouble."

He quickly explained the deal they made with Rachel.

Leo frowned. "You do realize this is your fault, right?"

Nico felt a prickle of shame travel up his spine. "Look, I didn't-"

"You willingly used your powers, in an open space, and look at what happened!"

Nico swallowed hard. "Okay. Bad decision on my part. But we need a way to get rid of the evidence."

"That time has passed, di Angelo!" Leo cried. "You just very well exposed yourselves and two other supers!"

Nico's obsidian eyes hardened. "Remember who you're talking to, Valdez."

But Leo didn't back down. "I'm done answering to you. Thanks for letting me live here, I guess, but I don't need you anymore. Adiós."

Nico could only open and close his mouth mutely as Leo slammed the door behind him.

Nico could only watch as his only friend shunned him.

* * *

"Nico?"

"What do you want, Solace."

Will stared concernedly at Nico's splayed form on the black sheets.

"You've been looking upset all day."

"Well I'm not."

Will sighed heavily. "C'mon. You can trust me."

Nico dragged his gaze to meet pale blue eyes. "Sure." His answer was extremely sarcastic, even by his own standards.

Will reached over and grabbed Nico's arm.

The latter tried to jerk away, but Will held him tightly.

"Listen. I can help whatever you're going through."

Nico felt a lump rise in his throat. "I don't need a therapist." Several conflicting emotions were running through his mind, and one ADHD induced thought was that Will's hand was _really freaking warm._

Hurt flashed in the blonde's eyes, but Will just frowned deeply. "Get up. We're leaving."

"W-What?"

Will drew back and headed for the door. "Let's go. You obviously need to get something off your mind."

Nico could feel himself becoming more and more susceptible to that faint southern accent.

He reluctantly pulled a new pair of jeans on and wrapped a scarf around his neck. It was green, which seemed to confuse Will, but to Nico it held more importance. It was Bianca's scarf.

"And here I was thinking you were goth or something," Will joked.

"It seems you were mistaken, Sunshine." Nico's throat constricted at the accidental nickname.

Will only smiled wider. "I always am, right Death Boy?"

"Death Boy?" Nico raised an eyebrow. "How original."

Will laughed, a musical sound that Nico shivered pleasantly from. Will swung open the door and and grinned. "After you, Death Boy."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Why thank you, Sunshine." Nico really didn't understand why Will was making him feel so giddy. Maybe it was that annoyin- beautiful smile he was adorning.

Whoa di Angelo. Chill.

Will repeated the action, holding the car door open for him. Nico ducked in quickly to avoid Will seeing him blush.

"So where are we off to?" Will asked offhandedly.

Nico blinked. "Uh, I don't know."

Will snapped his fingers suddenly. "I know the perfect place!" He jammed the keys in the slot and pressed on the gas pedal.

"Slow down, Solace," Nico reminded him. "Don't want to kill us, now do we?"

"Actually," Will said. "I'm going perfectly the speed limit. Did you know that 95% of all road accidents are from speeding?"

"No, I did not," Nico indulged.

"I've had to deal with so many speeding injuries-" Will complained, flipping up his visor to block the setting sun. "-during my shifts at the hospital. Hey, didn't you visit once?"

"Yeah, my friend's girlfriend was admitted, so I came to support them." Not a complete lie, at least.

"Who was it?"

"Uh, Katie Gardener, I think was her name." Nico prayed to any deity out there that Will wouldn't question her injuries.

It seemed luck was on his side, because Will just smiled sympathetically. "I've seen Katie a few times. She doesn't look too good."

Nico wondered when the conversation had taken such a dark turn. "Hey, isn't that the city fountain?"

In the center of a big clearing, a shiny statue of what looked like a phoenix was resting. It's wings were flourished in a magnificent spiral, and marble plumage curled off it's head. It was a nice sight, and Nico could see little grooves where each feather was carved. Out of the phoenix's beak, crystal clear water was trickling into a smooth basin.

"Incredible attention to detail," Nico remarked.

"It'd be even better if it was painted," Will added. "Like, you can see where the red and yellow would go, and I'd like to imagine it's eyes are dark. Not black, just dark. Like yours."

Nico's cheeks heated up, and he suddenly painfully aware of how Will's tousled golden hair reflected the sunset.

"Here we are," the aggravating and confusing blonde announced.

Nico climbed out, and his pupils dilated so fast he saw stars. "Will," he breathed. "You shouldn't have."

Will grinned and patted his shoulder. "I knew you were Italian, so I thought you might appreciate this."

They were standing in front of a restaurant with a huge open sign in front. Up on the roof, in big block letters, were the words,

 _ **Garozzo's Italian Restaurant**_

Nico was hit by a flash of memories, and he knew he had been here before. Not recently, no, but when he was young. Very young; perhaps even before the age of 10.

An enticing aroma wafted out the front, and Nico relished the familiar scent.

"Hungry, are we?" Will chuckled. He neatly entwined their fingers and was so smooth about it, Nico didn't even notice until they were inside.

When he did, anxiety ripped at his chest with sharp claws. He started to feel angry. No one had the right to toy with his emotions. How did Will find out?

But then Will flashed him a blinding, toothy smile, and Nico knew he meant it. His eyes sparkled to point where Nico was beginning to question whether they were really irises, or sapphires embedded in Will's skull.

He was vaguely aware of Will placing a table, but everything seemed muted. The sounds, colors, everything. What was wrong with him?

Will gently tugged his arm, and Nico followed him to a balcony where the brunette waitress smiled graciously at them. He took the seat across from the blonde, and immediately missed the warmth his hand provided.

The balcony supplied a beautiful view of the sea, and the fading colors tracing the sky. The sun had turned a deep red, while orange and purple lit up the clouds.

Will gazed out at the ocean, eyes flitting over the calm waves. Nico found that he quite enjoyed the serene expression on Will's face.

Nico mentally slapped himself. _This is mutiny, di Angelo,_ he scolded his emotions.

 _But he's really nice to look at!_ they protested.

 _Shut up._

But he couldn't help but agree.

The waitress returned, holding two glasses of ice water. "Sei pronto per ordinare, signori?" _Are you ready to order, gentlemen?_

Will obviously had no idea how to speak Italian, so Nico took over.

"Si, Grazie," Nico replied. "Vorremmo ordinare due piatti di carbonara, per favore." _Yes, thank you. We would like to order two plates of carbonara, thank you._

The waitress giggled, seemingly impressed by his fluent speech. "Il tuo ragazzo è molto fortunato ad avere qualcuno con un aspetto come il tuo, dolcezza." _Your boyfriend is lucky to have someone with looks like yours, sweetie._

Nico almost choked on the sip he was taking from his drink. "Uh, grazie, ma non è il mio-" _Uh, thanks, but he's not my-_

But she was already gone, departing with a knowing wink.

"What did she say?" Will questioned. "You look like a tomato."

Nico could feel his blush deepening. "She just wanted to know what we wanted. I ordered carbonara for both of us."

"What's that?"

"It's like-" Nico paused, unsure of how to compare it. "-It's kind of like pasta, but it has a lot of other ingredients. It's good, I promise."

"Oh, I believe you," Will said with complete conviction. "Anything from Italy is bound to be good. I trust your taste."

Nico blushed(for maybe the 6th time that night) and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. His frustration and disappointment at Leo had dwindled, until he barely considered it. Maybe it was better he had gotten out of the apartment.

"So did you grow up in Italy?" Will asked suddenly.

"Um yeah." Nico ran a hand through his hair. "We moved when I was little, so I don't remember much."

"We?"

Nico cleared his throat. "Me and my mom. And..." he hesitated. "My sister Bianca."

"Does she live here?" Will asked eagerly. "Could I meet her?"

"Not if you fancy a trip to the cemetery," Nico muttered.

Will paled. "Oh- I- I didn't- uh-"

"It's fine," Nico intervened. "She died when I was ten, so I've gotten over it."

Will seemed at a loss for words, and Nico was saved from having to make conversation when the waitress returned. She was holding two large plates of carbonara, with parmesan cheese heaped on top.

"Buon appetito," she said, sliding the plates in front of them. "Realizzato appositamente per la coppia felice." _Enjoy your meal. Made especially for the happy couple._

"Wait-" Nico started, but she was already walking away. "-non siamo una coppia!" _we're not a couple!_

Will blinked at him.

"Oh, she said dig in," Nico lied.

Will shrugged and dipped his fork into the noodles.

Nico copied his action, tentatively tasting the food. He didn't have very high expectations, but was very surprised when flavor exploded and washed over his tongue. He knew Will was having a similar reaction, due to the way he was licking his lips hungrily.

As Nico shoved the first bite into his mouth, sweet memories flooded his mind. The sudden image of his mother's smiling face almost made him choke.

"Do you like it?" Will asked quietly, watching him.

Nico swallowed hard. "Y-Yeah. I really like it, actually. It tastes like Italy."

Will laughed. "One would expect that at an Italian restaurant, would they not?"

 _Gah, how does this stupid blonde make me blush so much?_ Nico demanded of himself.

 _He is an good flirt, don't you agree?_ his inner thoughts chanted back.

Nico twirled his fork expertly, forming a ball of noodles on the prongs. Will watched his movements with interest, and tried to copy it.

The fork slipped out of his hands and clattered to the table.

Nico looked up at him, at the fork, and then back to Will. He was hit by the sudden urge to laugh.

And he started laughing.

Hard.

He was forced the drop his fork and clutch his stomach, and his lips stretched so wide in a smile it felt unnatural.

Will stared at him incredulously before joining in, throwing back his head, chest shaking with giggles.

Nico rubbed his eyes as the bizarre urge faded away. He cleared his throat and fumbled for his fork again.

"I've never heard you laugh," Will commented softly.

Nico blinked hard, as if to check he was still there. "I- I never really find things funny, to be honest."

"Yet you find me funny?" Will waggled his eyebrows. "I must be quite the exception."

Nico rolled his eyes. "It's just your tendency to want to impress people that makes you do funny things."

"Oh, har har."

As the sunlight faded, so did Will's golden tan. Nico's skin almost got brighter, healthier.

The stars were emerging into the inky black sky, twinkling like gems. A cool breeze swept through the balcony, making Will shiver and Nico sigh.

"Everything's better at night, don't you think?" Nico said, observing the deep navy blue waves lapping at the beach.

"I prefer daylight," Will said. "Everything is dull at night."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "I beg to differ."

There was a loud cough from the other side of the balcony, and the boys turned to see an older couple glaring at them.

"What's their problem?" Will muttered.

Nico had an idea, but he wasn't too sure about voicing it.

The woman narrowed her eyes at him and turned sharply around.

"If I could guess," Nico said in a low voice. "They came to the conclusion that we're-" Nico gestured between them.

Will's lips formed a small 'O'. "That's rude," he said. "Homophobia isn't nice."

"And we're not dating," Nico added.

Will gave him a strange look, almost crestfallen, before returning to his food.

Then Will's eyes brightened. "Well they can deal with it, right? Might as well pay them back."

"How?"

"Just talk loudly, laugh, that sort of thing."

Nico sighed. He was convinced they were going to get kicked out for it, but Will's puppy dog face broke down his resolve.

Will had no trouble faking the act of boyfriend, but Nico was struggling. Every time Will winked flirtatiously, Nico felt his insides melt.

"So I was thinking we could clean up the apartment tomorrow," Will suggested. "It's kind of a mess. My side more than yours."

Nico chuckled. "I could barely walk through your trash pile."

"Oh, really?" Will smirked. "Your side is littered with McDonalds wrappers!"

Over Will's shoulder, Nico watched as the couple waved down a waitress. In fact, the same one that had served _them._

The woman glanced a couple times back at them, talking in angry tones to the waitress.

Nico caught the words 'disgusting' and 'freaks'.

"I'm sorry ma'am," the waitress said, shaking her head. "I cannot kick them out because they are gay." Her accent was extremely thick.

"Sure you can!" The woman retorted. "They're breaking biological laws!"

The waitress gritted her teeth. "That's for the manager to decide. And I have half a mind to kick you out for _your_ disgusting attitude." She slapped a check on their table and walked away.

Will and Nico watched the exchange in disbelief. The woman shot another nasty look their direction before slipping money onto the check and storming out.

"It's nice to know there are some nice people out there," Nico murmured.

A moment later the waitress returned, holding two plates with desserts on top.

"Oh, uh, we didn't order-"

She cut him off. "Il comportamento di quella donna non andava bene. Questo è a casa, senza alcun costo." _That woman's behavior was not okay. This is on the house, no charge._

"Oh, Grazie mille," Nico said quickly. "Apprezziamo il gesto." _Thank you very much. We appreciate the gesture._

She put a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "If I were you, I'd keep that boy. He's a special one."

And she was gone.

Nico looked up at Will, who was wearing a ridiculously happy grin and he regarded the desserts.

"Wow, free of charge? It must be my lucky day!"

Nico, despite himself, smiled back to the sunny blonde who could maybe, just maybe, thaw Nico's cold heart.

* * *

 **If you couldn't tell, I was listening to Bright by Echosmith while writing this.**


	5. Chapter 5

**The plot has started rolling, people!**

 **WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH**

 **I need help.**

 **If you can't tell, I'm listening to "Here's To Never Growing Up" by Avril Lavigne**

* * *

It was barely 8:30, not late enough for either of them, so they visited the phoenix fountain.

Will dipped his fingers into the clear water, while Nico studied the intricate designs carved into the feathers. He could imagine where the colors would go, and suddenly wished it were painted.

Suddenly there was a cold feeling on his cheek, and he turned to see Will flicking drops of water at him.

"That's uncalled for, sunshine," Nico said, kneeling down beside the basin. He dipped his hand in and flung a shower of water at Will.

"Hey, you made it rain!" Will spun around, shaking his head like a dog.

They probably looked ridiculous to passing pedestrians, but in that moment Nico didn't care. For the first time in a long time, he was blissfully happy.

"So are you glad you got out of the apartment now?" Will questioned, sitting down next to Nico.

"It wasn't my choice, mind you," Nico said shaking his hand and spraying Will with droplets. "But yeah. Tonight was fun.

"We should do this more often," Will said with a sigh. "I only really get out with Lou Ellen and Cecil, but even then it's at Cecil's apartment."

"Yeah, he's..." Nico searched for the correct term. "He's different."

"Cecil has ADHD, so you can expect that," Will said. "It's funny, actually. All three of us have it."

"Really?" Nico was slightly surprised. "What a coincidence. Me too."

"Do you know how to swim?" Will asked suddenly.

"Sure, but I don't really like swimming." Nico had a vivid memory of sinking beneath the surface, and he shuddered.

"That's too bad. I wanted to teach you how to surf." Will rubbed his hands together from the cold.

Nico pushed himself up. "Let's get inside the car," he suggested. "If you're cold, I mean."

Will eagerly followed him. "I am. Gosh, how do you stay unaffected by the temperature?"

"I have a high temperature tolerance?" Nico guessed. "On both ends of the spectrum."

"That's handy."

As they climbed inside the vehicle, Nico vaguely wondered if it was bad to wear an aviators jacket all the time.

Nah.

Will turned the heat up and inserted the keys. "I swear, this car is so-" there was a buzzing in his back pocket, and Will retrieved his phone. "One sec," he told Nico. "Hello?"

Nico couldn't hear what the other person was saying, but Will's forehead creased and he appeared worried.

"Are you alright?" Will asked the person.

There was garbled speech, and Will frowned. "I'll be there. Nico's with me, I'm sure he'll help." Will hung up and grasped the steering wheel tightly.

"What's wrong?" Nico asked.

"Lou Ellen called. She said someone broke into her apartment."

"Does she know who?"

Will shook his head. "She was sleeping apparently. She heard a crash, but by the time she got up the person was gone. She found a note, though. She said she'd show me when we arrived."

"Does she have anything particularly valuable?"

"Not that I know of."

They reached the house in minutes, and Will knocked loudly on the door.

It flung open at once, revealing a disheveled Lou Ellen, dressed only in a t-shirt and shorts with a messy bun.

"Thank the gods," she breathed. She grabbed Will's arm and yanked him into the apartment, Nico following closely behind.

Will gasped when he saw the true extent of the damage.

Shattered glass was in every possible corner, and magazines were strewn everywhere. Plastic cups were upturned, their contents staining the furniture. Couch cushions were tossed around haphazardly, and pillow stuffing was hanging off of broken lamps.

"I don't know how or why he did it," Lou Ellen said helplessly. "The crash I heard was probably the red vase over there."

Nico stared at the wreck of a living room, completely puzzled. As far as he knew, no one did anything without having a goal.

"You said you had a note?"

Will and Lou Ellen turned their gazes on him, as if seeing him for the first time.

Lou Ellen fumbled in her pocket for a moment before producing the scrap of paper.

Nico took it from her.

 _The only escape is by joining me._

 _This is your first warning._

 _\- Backbiter_

"Who's Backbiter?" Will asked.

"The vandal," Lou Ellen said bitterly.

"Did he steal anything?" Nico asked.

"Not that I know of. I do have a suspicion of his identity," she added. "I met a blonde guy at a cafe the other day. He had a scar on his face and he was tall. He started talking about a higher power, who would take over the city. He said he needed help from-" she cut herself off, closing her mouth. "-from others."

Nico wondered what she was going to say, but dismissed it.

"He left afterwards, but not without leaving me this paper." She brandished it.

 _Only benefits come from Kronos._

 _\- Backbiter_

"It's his alias," Lou Ellen explained. "The guy he serves is named Kronos."

Nico frowned. "What does he want with you?"

Lou Ellen shrugged. "What help could I be to anyone?"

"We'll help you clean up," said Will hurriedly. "In the meantime, we need to contact the police."

Nico swept up the broken porcelain and cups, while the other two fixed the cushions and lamps. He winced and sucked in a breath as a shard dug painfully into his finger.

"You alright?" Will called.

"Yup."

Nico emptied the glass in a large trashcan and knotted the plastic. "I'll take this out," he offered.

"Good. Thanks," Lou Ellen said.

Nico opened the back door and spotted the dumpster. He flipped open the lid and tossed the trash inside.

It made a clinking noise, but was otherwise quiet. A slight buzzing filled his ears, and he raised his head to the sky. Were the stars moving, or was that just him?

The buzzing grew louder and he rubbed his temples. He hummed softly, trying to drown out the noise, but it rose to crescendo of sound.

He pressed his back against the wall and slowly slid down. Everything was blurring, the darkness seemed to be pressing in on him...

And then it vanished.

A raspy, hissing voice echoed around him.

" _I am rising, child. You cannot stop me, though others will try. Assist me in my ascent to power, and you will be rewarded."_

"Who are you?" Nico mumbled, still dizzy.

 _"I am Kronos, the lord of time. I will rule this city, and you will help me."_

"Who ever said I would help you?" Nico spat.

 _"Ah, little super. Your lack of knowledge amuses me."_ A sound like nails on a chalkboard filled his head, and he realized Kronos was laughing.

"Don't insult me," Nico growled, struggling back to his feet.

 _"But alas,"_ Kronos continued, _"Not everyone accepts my offer. Your friend disobeyed my wishes, and now she has paid."_

"What do you even want?" Nico stumbled towards the door.

 _"I want you to join my ranks. Everyone in this city will fear the name Ghost!"_

"Look, you're pretty tempting. I'll give you that. But everyone already fears me, so there's not much for you to go on." Nico twisted the door knob. "Leave me alone."

 _"If you wish, young super. If you wish."_

His dizziness faded, as well as Kronos' voice.

* * *

The living room was cleaned up pretty well, despite the extent of the damage.

Lou Ellen had shooed them out, saying she could handle the rest.

"Go, go, it's getting late guys," she urged. She basically kicked them out, with a smile.

"Well," Will said once they were in the car. "Eventful night, huh?"

Nico only nodded, choosing to focus on the air vent to sooth his headache.

As soon as they arrived at their apartment, Nico collapsed into his bed, not even bothering to remove his shoes. He heard Will turning the lamps off, and drifted off to the darkness.

* * *

 _"Nico! Where's my little fratello?"_

 _"Up here, Bi!" Nico yelled._

 _Bianca swung herself up to the roof and sat beside her brother. "What are you doing up here, Nico?"_

 _"I'm stargazing." Nico pointed up at the dark sky. "The stars are very bellissimo tonight, Bi."_

 _"They certainly are," she agreed. "But mamma will have a heart attack if she knows we're up here."_

 _"Mamma can deal with it," Nico said dismissively. "Sorella, can I ask you a question?"_

 _"Anything."_

 _"Where did papà go?"_

 _Bianca sighed. "I don't know, va bene? I've already told you."_

 _"I know. I just thought that maybe since you're older, mamma might have told you."_

 _"Mamma can't tell me," Bianca said gently. "Because she doesn't know either."_

 _"I wish he was here," Nico said wistfully. "I feel like we would get along."_

 _"Of course you would," Bianca said. "He loves you, even if he's not here."_

 _"I guess." Nico scaled the roof and landed on the ground. "See you later, sorella."_

 _"See you later, fratello."_

 _And Bianca was left to stargaze alone._

* * *

"Lasciami in pace, Bianca," Nico murmured. _Leave me alone, Bianca._

The only thing he could comprehend from his dream haze was that someone was shaking him.

"Huh?"

Nico opened his eyes to see none other than Will Solace smiling at him. Seriously, what was with this guy and smiling so much?

"It's almost 9:00," Will said quietly.

Nico sat up, rubbing his eyes. Will withdrew and headed to the kitchen, where a delicious smell was wafting through.

Nico propped himself up on his elbows. "What's that?" he mumbled sleepily.

"I'm making breakfast," Will replied.

"Oh, you didn't have t-"

"I insist, di Angelo," Will said sternly.

Nico groaned into his pillow and sat up. He realized his shoes were neatly on the floor, and his blanket was on top of him. That means...

He blushed profusely at the idea of Will tenderly pulling his shoes off.

He changed his black shirt into another black shirt and walked into the kitchen. Will put a plate in front of him, along with a cup of what looked like tea.

"Seriously Will," Nico said, gazing at the steaming eggs and bacon. "You really didn't need to."

"I wanted to," Will said. "And it's not like I'm letting myself starve." Will took the seat next to him.

People could think he was weird all they wanted, but Nico really enjoyed steak sauce with eggs. It was just something he grew up with.

Will barely spared him a glance, and made no comment.

"So are you going back to work?" Will asked.

Nico shrugged. "Probably. I have sick leave anyway."

"Cool. I'm covering my shift and Kayla's." He frowned. "Come to think of it, why do I always have to cover her shift? Ugh."

Nico chuckled. "You should probably call her out on that."

"I'll introduce you guys sometime," said Will. "I'm sure she'd like that." Will rinsed his plate off, slung a bag over his shoulder, and waved cheerily at Nico before walking out.

Nico copied him and straightened his sheets before drawing the curtains closed. He slipped his shoes on, and was pleased to see they still had the laces tied.

When he stepped out onto the curb outside, he should've turned right, towards McDonalds.

He turned left instead.

Okay, maybe he let a little white lie slip to Will, but he had other things on his mind.

His breath misted in front of him, the chilly air nipping his ears. Red and purple leaves crunched underfoot. He wasn't going to lie and say he didn't like autumn, but he definitely disliked the abundance of colors.

Nico's walk turned into a jog as he reached a strawberry field. He emerged at the crest of a hill, where a large pine was located.

In the valley below, there was a building with the words,

 ** _Mr. Brunner's School for Gifted Youths_**

On the front. He pushed open the door and stepped into the entry hall. There was a fine coating of dust over everything, besides the two sets of footprints leading to the training arena.

Nico followed silently, his feet making the slightest noise.

He peered through the crack, and felt a surge of relief at the pair standing inside.

Jason was showing something to Percy, who looked excited and eager as always.

Nico stepped into the nearest shadow and emerged in the corner, right in their view.

"Nico!" Percy exclaimed, grinning. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

Jason glared at him and turned away, arms crossed.

"Where have you been?" Percy asked.

"Around," Nico answered vaguely. He looked over at Jason, who was grinding his teeth in an attempt not to snap something rude. "Jason, I'm sorry," Nico tried, but Jason just frowned deeper.

"For what?" Percy asked.

"Yeah di Angelo," Jason snarled. "What are you sorry for?"

"Listen, it was a slip-up," Nico attempted to explain, but Jason cut him off angrily.

"You revealed my identity!" Jason growled. "To a large group of bystanders and a reporter! After you decided it was completely okay to destroy a street with your powers!"

"I'm the villain here, Grace," Nico hissed. "That's what I do. I hurt things." Nico stuffed his hands in his pockets. "That's all I'm good for."

"Wait-" Percy intervened. "-You're not a villain. You haven't done anything really bad."

"That you know of," Nico corrected. "I've robbed banks, killed whole buildings full of people, and-"

Jason cut him off again. "Exactly my point. You're a bad influence, and you shouldn't even be around Percy."

"Hey," Percy snapped. "That's not for you to decide, Jason."

"You know what?" Nico said dully. "Maybe I shouldn't have come. I just wanted to make things right, but apparently that's not within my ability range." He started to melt back into the shadows, but Percy pulled him back.

"Nico," Percy whispered. "Please don't go. I don't care what Jason thinks, and he can leave if he can't be civil around you."

Nico hesitated, but allowed Percy to drag him into the light.

"Are both of you going to be okay?" Percy demanded.

Nico nodded, but Jason muttered something incomprehensible.

"Jason Grace," Percy said in a low voice.

"Fine," Jason forced out.

"So how about for today, we focus on you guys instead of me?" Percy suggested.

"I'm okay with whatever," Nico said with a shrug.

"Alright," said Percy. "Jason, do your best move that isn't lightning. We don't want to bring the roof down, now do we?"

Jason cracked his knuckles and waved his hand. A gust of wind swept through the arena and started swirling rapidly. It was taking on a shape, but Nico couldn't discern it from the dust obscuring his vision.

Moments later, Jason lowered his hands, and the dust settled.

Cantering in the center of the room was a horse, made completely of wind, red eyes crackling with electricity.

Percy raised a hand to his mouth in awe.

"You created life," Nico breathed. "That's virtually impossible."

"Nothing's impossible if you're a super," Jason countered.

"Guys, this is not turning into another argument," Percy said sternly. "And he says his name is Tempest."

Jason stroked the horse, and Nico winced as electricity arced up his arm. He had a feeling that anyone else who touched him would be pretty dead.

"Okay Nico, your turn," Percy said.

Nico knelt down and pressed his hand to the ground. At first, seemingly nothing happened, but then there was a low rumbling sound and the ground split open. The earth disgorged twenty skeletons, which formed a half circle behind Nico. They brandished long knives and wore obsidian armor, and looked ready to kill.

Nico clasped his hands, and the shadows immediately leaped to his side, swirling around his head like a wreath.

Jason pressed his lips into a tight line, whereas Percy drank in the scene eagerly.

Suddenly there was a scuffle near the door, and Nico's skeletons dropped back into the ground. The shadows that circled him now spread over Percy and Jason, cloaking them.

Nico walked over to them and peered at the door.

Then he laughed as a black dog stepped into the room. He removed the shield and walked over.

The dog lifted it's snout and rubbed against Nico's hand.

"Do you have an owner?" Nico murmured.

The dog barked and shook it's head, resulting in a jingling sound on it's neck. Nico picked up the tag on it's collar.

"Mrs. O' Leary," he read aloud. "That's your name?"

She barked again and started circling Percy's legs and nosing his phone.

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"You act like the dog can hear you," Jason huffed.

Mrs. O' Leary growled at his phone and barked again. Percy pressed a few buttons and his face paled.

"Guys, look at this."

Nico and Jason leaned over his shoulder and watched as he pressed the play icon on a news video.

To his surprise, Rachel was standing in the center, looking more frazzled than usual.

"Calling all supers!" she said frantically. "Please, keep watching!"

Another reporter close to her inspected a piece of paper. "If you hear your alias, please pay close attention to the next message."

Rachel cleared her throat and rattled off a list of familiar names. "Pied Piper. Spark. Huntress. Witch. Riptide. Sol. Feugo. And..." she hesitated. "Ghost."

Her friend frowned at that and muttered something, but Rachel barreled on. "If you heard your name, please try to rendezvous with your fellow supers. There is a new threat endangering our city, and we need you to protect us. Even the villains."

Static filled the screen.

Percy slowly pocketed his phone.

"A new threat? Like what?"

Nico gulped. "Like Kronos." He briefly explained his encounter with the super, and was met with grave looks.

Suddenly a scratchy voice filled his head. _Testing, testing. Can everyone hear me?_

Percy clapped his hands over his ears, and Jason frowned.

Nico heard a chorus of affirmation in his head, and tried to think back a reply. _Yes?_

 _The Pied Piper here. Everyone saw the news, right?_

Nico: _Yes._

PP: _Okay. You heard 'em. Where's a good place to meet?_

Jason: _Does everyone know the abandoned super school?_

There were mutters of confirmation.

PP: _Alright. It's a deal._

* * *

 **I added the steak sauce thing for my friend lol**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys. I've been neglecting this fic, so I'm sorry. I have a lot of things on my mind and can't always find time to write.**

 **I'm going to clear up a few things, but you can skip this if you want.**

 **+I chose Kronos as the villain because I wanted this to be about Nico and Will, and they both fought in the Battle of Manhattan.**

 **+I wanted Nico to meet Percy and Jason, so I put Leo as the person who encountered Cupid with him. This helped out their relationship as partners in crime.**

 **+There are going to be no demigods, just random supers born with powers. Greek and Roman mythology doesn't exist in this universe.**

 **Sorry if this seems rushed, because I just wanted to get to the final battle already. I expect 1 more chapter and then maybe an epilogue.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and e** **njoy chapter 6!**

* * *

Nico disconnected himself from the mental link, feeling dizzy. He fished a black rag dotted with burn marks from his pocket and tied it around his face.

Percy pulled a mask over his face, and Jason distorted his features.

Moments later, a streak of golden light burned a circle in the floor, and revealed a flustered looking Sol.

Sol was wearing a yellow shirt and jeans, and did not look prepared at all.

"Is this the place?" he breathed.

Jason nodded.

Sol sized them up, scanning over Percy, Jason, and then finally glaring at Nico.

"I don't know why you were invited," Sol snapped.

Nico crossed his arms. "Do you have to talk?"

"Okay, chill," Percy interrupted. "We're all here on neutral terms."

Nico clapped his hands, and a few skeletons popped up out of the ground. "Build us a table," he ordered.

The skeletons sauntered out, grabbing planks of wood and pressing them together.

Sol watched him warily, inching away from the skeletons.

"Keep them away from me," he said.

Nico jabbed his finger into Sol's chest, sneering. "I can do whatever I want with my soldiers." Dark, wispy smoke curled around his fingertip, and Sol gazed at it fearfully.

For a beat, Sol said nothing, and then he chuckled. "Are you Italian?"

Nico drew back, surprised.

Sol grinned. "You sound Italian up close. I only really hear your voice when your shouting at me across the street."

Nico ran a hand through his hair. "So?"

"So, it's cool." Sol moved out of the way of a zombie. "Italy is a nice place."

Nico stared at him in confusion for a moment before turning and gazing at the finished product.

A gleaming, polished wooden table was set up in the center of the room, with benches to accompany it. Nico gingerly sat down, and nodded when it didn't break.

"Dismissed," he said, flicking his finger.

* * *

When all the supers arrived, everyone sat around the table and got acquainted.

No one revealed their identities, but Nico knew most of them already.

Sitting next to Jason was Thalia, with her classic spiky black hair and blue stripe.

On Jason's other side was Percy, talking to Leo, who had his legs propped up on the table.

Next to Leo was Piper, who was smiling and talking to Witch.

Witch was wearing a green sweatshirt and leggings, and he had no idea who she was.

She seemed to know Sol, because they were talking earnestly.

Nico was seated between Leo and Piper, with his hands behind his head. Everyone obviously expected him to be a bad guy(which he sort of was), so better just reinforce the idea.

"Alright everyone, quiet down," Piper said, and her voice rang with force. Everyone went silent. "The news said there was a threat. Does anyone know what that might be?"

Nico coughed lightly into his fist, drawing the attention to him. He rubbed his temples as a headache began, and explained his encounter with Kronos.

"So," Witch said slowly. "This Kronos guy is gathering followers. Why is he such a big deal?"

"He's telepathic too," Nico added. "Rachel wouldn't report it unless it was important."

"How can we trust you?" Sol said.

Nico's vision blurred, and his hands started shaking. Anger clouded his mind, and the next thing he knew Sol was on the ground, wrestling with a blanket of shadows.

"Let him go!" Piper cried.

Instantly the shadows fled, and Nico blinked hard. He glared at Sol. "You know, I don't need to be here. I could've left you with no information at all."

Sol climbed back into his chair, breathing hard.

"We're keeping a peaceful atmosphere, okay?" Piper said sternly.

Nico looked away, fists clenched. "Fine."

As Piper talked, Nico wasn't really listening anymore. He stared intently at the table, a slight buzz filling his ears.

He could only remember one time he could hear buzzing, and that was when Kronos had made his offer.

Sure enough, the raspy, metallic voice filled his head.

 _"This is your last chance, Ghost,"_ Kronos warned. _"You can still join the winning side. These supers, what have they ever done for you except ostracize you?"_

Nico rubbed his temples, scowling. The room was hazy, and he could barely hear the discussion.

 _"I can offer you unlimited power,"_ Kronos added. _"What can they give you?"_

Nico hated himself for agreeing.

 _"If you serve me, I can give you your sister back."_

That was his tipping point.

"Shut up!" he spat. "Just shut up!"

Instantly the voice withdrew, but everything was still blurry. Piper looked over at him.

"What?"

Nico put his head in his hands, shudders racking his body.

"Are you okay?" Leo whispered.

"We need to stop him," Nico muttered. "If he can get inside my mind, he can get inside yours. I have high mental barriers, and it takes a lot for someone to overcome them."

Piper narrowed her eyes. "Why? What secrets are you hiding?"

Nico tensed, but Leo put a hand on his arm.

It must've been his ADHD, but Nico shoved him off and snarled, "Don't freaking touch me!"

Percy locked eyes with him. "Ghost," he said gently. "None of us are against you."

"I'll believe you when you can prove it."

Jason sighed. "Isn't working together enough proof for you?"

"We aren't working together!" Nico quickly adjusted his mask as it started to slip. " _You're_ working together. I shouldn't be here."

He turned to leave, but surprisingly, the person who stopped him was Sol.

"I'm sorry," Sol mumbled. "We went too far. Please don't go. We need your help."

Nico hesitated for a long moment, searching those crystal blue eyes for deceit. "Fine." The usual venom was gone, replaced with weary exhaustion.

Sol led him back to his seat, ensuring that he was sitting before releasing his arm.

Nico found himself missing the warmth.

* * *

"We need to keep an eye on the news," Witch said, poring over a map of the city with Piper.

The two girls had taken charge, silent conversations on both sides.

"I'll handle it," Percy said.

"Spark, can you and Huntress scope out the city?" Piper asked.

Jason nodded, wrapped his arm around Thalia's waist, and shot into the sky.

"Feugo and Ghost, can you come mark underground passageways?"

"How'd you know?" Leo asked.

"I just assumed that as criminals, you needed to know how to escape."

"I shouldn't touch the map," Leo chuckled, wringing his hands. "I'll probably burn it."

Nico muttered, "It's fine. I got it."

He walked up beside Piper, picked up a black sharpie, and started drawing lines where the tunnels were under the city. "This one collapsed about a month ago," he said, pointing. "And that one flooded. I don't know about you, but I don't really feel like tromping around in a hundred gallons of sewage."

Nico loathed the squeaking sound the marker made when pressed too hard against the paper, and cringed every time it happened.

"We know where Kronos is going to be," Piper said. "I'm a telepath too, remember? I located his mind waves."

She guided Nico's marker over to a very familiar spot. "He's by the town square. You guys have seen the swan statue, right?"

"Phoenix," Nico corrected. He blushed when they stared at him. "It's a phoenix."

Piper nodded, a small smile on her face. "Well he's right by it. And he expects us to meet him there, I guess."

"He seems vastly unorganized," Sol put in. "Is he really going to try and attempt to fight all of us at once?"

"No one bluffs that big unless they have good confidence in themselves," said Nico darkly. "By the time we figure out our strategy, it should be evening. Everyone's powers can work well at that time, right?"

"What about mine?" Sol questioned. He raised his hand, and a small streak of light started twirling around it.

"There should be enough light," Piper assured him.

Nico circled the best route for them to take, and showed it to Piper.

"Why exactly do we need these tunnels?" Leo asked.

"Well we can't just waltz into the square," Witch teased. "Though that would be faster, it wouldn't be strategically to our advantage."

Suddenly Piper keeled over with a cry of pain. She grabbed her head and groaned.

Witch dropped down next to her. "Hey! Are you okay?"

Piper started trembling, moaning, "No...no please..."

And then all at once, she collapsed into Witch's arms, breathing shakily.

Sol knelt beside her and touched her shoulder. Golden light threaded it's way into her forehead, and her eyes flew open with a gasp.

"What- what happened?" she mumbled.

"Kronos," Nico said gravely. "I told you he could get inside your mind."

Piper rubbed her temples. "He said... he... he said he would kill my father... if I didn't... didn't..."

"Join him," Nico finished. "We need to finish him off."

They resumed their efforts, more vigorously.

Jason and Thalia returned a few minutes later.

"Check the news!" Jason ordered.

Percy angled his phone towards everyone.

Rachel was back, her mane of red hair frizzier than normal. The screen kept turning to static, but her voice could be heard clearly.

"News station... attacked... demolished... help us!"

The video cut off, and Nico slammed his fist on the table. "Are we ready to go!?"

Piper nodded and directed them towards the entrance to the tunnel, which was right outside. "Everyone in."

Nico went first. He felt completely in his element, in the dark. He smirked slightly when he imagined the discomfort Sol must be feeling.

Leo held out his hand and conjured a ball of fire to light the way. He walked beside Nico, looking vaguely awkward.

"I'm sorry." Nico broke the silence. "I should've been more compassionate."

Leo waved him off. "It's fine. I was just going through a rough time."

"I should understand that!" Nico blurted. "Instead, I just expected you to just follow my every order like old times."

Leo chuckled. "Don't worry, Ghost. I still have your back."

Nico swallowed hard as warmth bloomed in his chest. He had never felt so ashamed and relieved at the same time.

"I do wish we had Connor and Travis," Leo commented.

"Yeah." Nico coughed. "So we're definitely good?"

"Of course, boss."

Nico almost hugged him, but since his hand was on fire he doubted he would emerge from the encounter unscathed.

"We're almost there," Piper announced.

Soon they reached a dead end, and Nico pointed upwards. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Up there will bring us into the square. I can take some people up there, if anyone's up for it."

"I guess I'll go," Percy said. He grabbed Nico's hand, as did Leo.

Nico stepped forwards into the darkness and vanished.

* * *

They appeared in the shadows of a nearby building. Percy swayed on his feet for a moment, blinking rapidly.

"Every time," he muttered unhappily.

"There he is," Nico murmured. He couldn't explain how, but he just knew that the man leaning against the phoenix statue was Kronos.

He had an aura of confidence around him, and the air was shimmering around him, like mist. Two people were standing next to him, teenagers by the looks of it. One had a long scar running down his face, and the other was wearing an eyepatch.

Once Nico had taken everyone, Piper narrowed her eyes at Kronos.

"I can feel him," she whispered. "He's sending off waves of power."

Witch nodded. "He's conjuring illusions. Hiding himself from civilians."

"How can we clear the street?" Sol asked.

"There are going to be casualties," Nico replied. "We can't prevent that."

"But we can protect as many people as possible! Do you not care if people die?"

Nico held his incredulous gaze steadily. "That's a part of life, Sol. Do I need to spell it out? People are going to D-I-E."

"I guess this is why you're a villain," Sol said haughtily. "No regard for human life."

"That's right!" Nico almost shouted. "I have no regard for any life besides mine!" His voice was heavily laced with sarcasm. "That must be why I wanted to kill myself for the first few years after my sister died!"

Sol stared at him, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Leo put a hand on his shoulder, his eyes soft. "Ghost," he said quietly. "Sol doesn't mean it."

"Sure he does!" Nico was getting hysterical. "He meant it. He meant every word." His nails dug into his palms so hard it drew blood. "Why am I even helping you? It benefits me in no way!"

"Wait-" Sol started to say, but Nico was already walking away.

Leo ran after him. "Don't shadow travel away, please! We need you!"

"No you don't!" Nico growled, spinning on his heel to glare at the other supers, who were watching nervously. Witch was berating Sol in the distance. "You need my powers. You don't need me."

"That's where you're wrong," Leo insisted. "We need you. I need you."

Nico's breath hitched in his throat. The cloud of anger was clearing in his mind, and he realized that Leo's words were sincere.

Leo seemed to sense his indecision, and stepped forward. He was hesitant, but his eyes held steely determination. Then he slowly wrapped his arms around Nico. Nico stiffened at first, not used to physical contact, but Leo's embrace was warm and Nico was cold and he felt himself relenting.

Leo looked up at him. "Please don't go."

Nico gulped. "I- I won't."

Witch marched over to them, dragging a sullen Sol behind her. "Apologize," she demanded, shoving him forward.

Sol wrung his hands. "I, uh-"

Witch cuffed the back of his head.

"I'm sorry," Sol forced out.

"Apology not accepted," Nico hissed. At Sol's pleading gaze, he sighed. "But I forgive you."

"What a touching scene," drawled a sarcastic voice.

The supers turned to see Kronos standing a few yards away, hands folded.

"But I'm afraid we don't have time for such trivial things."

Kronos flicked his finger, and the two teens were by his side. "This is Luke," Kronos said, pointing at the one with a scar. "And this is Ethan." The one with the eyepatch scowled at them.

"You can't fight all of us at once!" Percy shouted.

Kronos chuckled. "Of course I can."

Nico spread his arms, and the darkness dripped over him like water. It solidified into armor and an obsidian black sword.

Kronos narrowed his eyes. "Little super, I can feel your power. You don't even know your full potential."

"I'm fine with how I am, thanks," Nico spat.

Kronos smiled condescendingly. "Once I kill your friends, you can rule this city by my side."

Nico leveled his sword at Kronos. His face was a blank mask that Leo saw so often during robberies. "I won't let you."

Kronos' fake smile turned into a snarl. "Then you will die as well."


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay guys. This is the last chapter, and then an epilogue.**

 **Merry Yuletide!**

 **Chap. 7:**

* * *

Several things happened at once.

The ground rumbled and broke open, disgorging hundreds of skeleton soldiers who converged on Kronos.

Luke and Ethan lunged forward, swords clashing as they met Percy and Jason.

Lightning rained down from the sky as Thalia raised her fist into the air.

Witch grabbed Piper and vanished in a haze of smoke.

Kronos clapped his hands, and the world slowed to a standstill.

Nico tried to move, but it felt like he was walking through quicksand. Kronos leisurely stalked towards him, casting aside skeletons and stray bolts of lightning.

"You can't stop me," he said, his golden eyes glinting evilly. "Why do you even try?"

Nico sought out Leo's red mask among the chaos, but everything was blurred as Kronos raised his scythe.

"Any last words, little super?"

Nico felt his jaw unfreeze, and he quickly spat out, "Killing me accomplishes nothing!"

"Sure it does," Kronos replied. Nico breathed out in relief as he lowered his weapon. "I rid myself of another pest."

Nico's mind searched ravenously for something to say in defense, but he came up empty. He could only watch, helpless, as Kronos brought the scythe up to his neck. Then Kronos stopped. He smiled slightly, reached over, and ripped his mask off.

"You all work so hard to disguise your identities," Kronos drawled, ripping the rag into pieces. "Maybe the real torture for you will be everyone knowing who you are."

Nico gulped as Kronos clapped once more, and time unfroze.

Nico immediately covered his face with his hands. Thalia landed beside him.

"What's up, Ghost?"

Nico tried to pull his shirt up to cover his face. Some rational part of his brain snapped that this was not a valid concern at the moment, and he should be worrying about Kronos, who was knocking aside the supers left and right, but the rest of his brain wailed that _no one can know my identity!_

Thalia stared at him curiously. "I didn't know you were Italian."

A loud cry from the other side of the square drew their attention.

Sol was struck down, his mask falling away. He scrambled back to his feet, anger flashing across his tanned face.

And Nico felt his heart stop.

Crystal blue eyes, golden blonde hair...

"Solace?"

* * *

At the same time, Will locked gazes with Nico.

His eyes went ridiculously wide with shock, and he closed the distance in just a few strides.

Will smelled like strawberries, and he looked confused and distraught. "You're Ghost?" he whispered.

Nico nodded. His heart was banging wildly in his chest, as he stared the freckled face he had come to trust and maybe even find comfort in.

And then Will was hugging him and trembling.

"Uh, Solace?" Nico gently put a hand on his chest. "Are you alright?"

Will grabbed him by the shoulders. "I'm sorry, Nico," he murmured. "I never even noticed you were having such a rough time. I shouldn't have been so mad, even if you are my arch nemesis."

Nico smiled, and a warm feeling spread through his body. He cursed himself. _What is happening to me?_

"Are we okay?" Will asked, extending his hand.

Nico clasped it. "But I'm not going to get over our..." he hesitated, searching for the right word. "Our little spat, right away."

Will nodded. "That's understandable."

Suddenly, a large weight crashed into Nico, sending him to the ground. He groaned and sat up, only to see Jason rubbing his head.

"Sorry," Jason said sheepishly. Then he caught sight of Will. "Hey, isn't he your roommate?"

"That's not your concern at the moment," Nico said sternly. "You probably have a concussion."

Jason shook his head and winced. "O-Of course not."

Will knelt down and peered at Jason's face. "He definitely has a concussion."

Jason's eyes were dilated very large and he was swaying where he sat, which worried Nico to some degree.

"Whoa," Leo said, skidding to stop beside them. "Is that Will? Is Spark alright?"

"Would you mind taking him to the hospital?" Nico asked. "We'll handle Kronos."

"Yes sir!" Leo said, saluting. He wrapped an arm under Jason's shoulder. Nico touched Leo's hand and whisked them along into the shadows.

"Aw," Will remarked, his hands on his hips. "I didn't know you possessed so much emotion, Ghost."

Nico rolled his eyes, shoving Will playfully. "Shut it, Sol... ace."

Will laughed, a musical sound that made Nico light-headed and giddy. "We're in this together, right?"

"Of course. Where would I be without my sunshine?"

Will blushed, and Nico could feel his cheeks burning as well. Nico was surprised he had the guts to use the nickname, and felt a surge of pride and something else... Something he couldn't describe. It filled him with energy, and he suddenly felt like he could take on an army, though that was probably not the best thing to do.

"Get a room, lovebirds!" Thalia yelled, firing an arrow at Luke. "Honestly, you guys are cute, but we have other things to do!"

"WATCH OUT!" Nico shouted, as Luke hurtled towards her.

In an instant, Nico had leaped into Will's shadow and appeared in Thalia's. He flung up his sword to meet Luke's, and the deafening screech of metal-on-metal echoed through the square.

"Hey Ghost," Luke said casually, sweeping his leg in an attempt to trip him. "How is losing working out for you?"

"Pretty good, believe it or not," Nico replied, his voice sharp.

Luke's sword was an oddity. It was half gleaming steel, and half glinting bronze. Luke wielded it expertly, slashing and stabbing and Nico had never fought someone as experienced at him. The scar running down his face made him look crazed, as he dodged and parried and in the dimming light, his gold eyes shone with malice. Gold? Nico also noticed the way his arms jerked, almost robotically, and his irises were dull and lifeless. He almost looked... Possessed.

Lost in his thoughts, Nico did not defend himself as Luke fluidly spun his sword and disarmed him, flinging Nico's stygian iron weapon a few feet away.

Luke advanced on him, the split sword shining ominously. "Get ready to die, Ghost."

Nico frowned. Luke's words sounded monotonous and forced, which was slightly peculiar.

"Luke," Nico said gently. "This isn't you. You aren't really with Kronos, are you?"

Luke froze. The fused steel and bronze glimmered, and tipped down to the ground slowly.

"Snap out of it," Nico growled.

Luke let his weapon fall to the ground. He cleared his throat and reached out, his hands shaking. "I- I-" His breath came in uneven gasps, and finally he shook his head violently and stared at Nico. His eyes had lost their dull quality, and they were darting around anxiously.

"I'm sorry," Luke whispered.

"It's not your fau-" Nico tried to say, but Luke cut him off.

"It is, it is. I'm not going to deny it." He chuckled bitterly. "I chose to join him of my own accord. I'm fully responsible."

Nico looked back up at the battle raging all around him. Piper was trying to charmspeak Ethan, while Thalia and Will rained down hell on Kronos. It was quite the sight, with lightning bolts streaking down and singing his hair, and arrow after arrow shooting through the air. Will had lost his bow and arrows, but golden light was swirling around his hands, and he blinded Kronos at every opportunity. Percy and Witch were nowhere to be found.

Suddenly Luke groaned and fell to his knees. His eyes flashed gold for a moment, and then returned to blue. "I- I can't h-hold him back m-much longer."

"Is there any other way we can break his control?" Nico asked anxiously.

Luke regarded him, his irises flickering. "I have to die." His voice was barely a whisper.

Nico let out a sigh. "You don't want me to do it, do you? My sword would suck out your soul."

Luke shook his head. He pulled a dagger from his waist and held it up to his chest. For the first time, his hands didn't quiver in the slightest. "No more casualties," Luke murmured. "Ethan didn't choose this. Don't let him... don't let him go back. Don't kill him."

Nico nodded. "I won't. I promise."

And then Luke drove the knife into his chest with a sickening _crack!_

Nico looked away, unable to bear Luke's moans of pain.

Finally he went still, slumping to the ground. The dagger clattered out of his hand, and Nico picked it up. It glistened with blood, and he quickly dropped it again. He put a hand on Luke's shoulder and ensured that his soul was moving on.

Luke's double-edged blade lay a few feet away, close to Nico's. He scooped them both up and rejoined the battle.

* * *

Piper was struggling, hard pressed by Ethan. She was shouting out commands, her voice filled with power, but Ethan just shook her off. Nico leaped between them and deflected his blow with both swords, crossed in an **X**. Ethan glared at him, his lips curling into a sneer.

"Pick on someone your own size, yeah?" Nico taunted, twirling both blades. He had never fought with two swords before, but it came surprisingly easy.

"Where's Castellan?" Ethan snapped.

"You mean Luke? He's dead."

Ethan snarled and lunged forward, meeting Nico's double blades with his daggers.

"Give it a rest, Ethan!" Nico yelled, driving his stygian iron sword into the concrete. Ethan stared at him like he was insane, but a few seconds later the ground rumbled and broke open, disgorging hundreds of skeletons. They converged on Ethan, pulling him back and holding him down. They disarmed him, throwing his knives towards Piper, who scooped them up and sheathed them.

"You can't win this," Nico said disdainfully. He pulled out his sword and approached Ethan.

"Just kill me already," Ethan mumbled. His eye patch fluttered off his face, revealing an empty eye socket.

Nico shook his head. He snapped his fingers, and the skeletons released him. They turned and charged Kronos, swarming him and pulling him down.

"We're not the bad guys," said Nico.

Ethan sat up, his expression less hateful than it was before.

"Help us," Nico urged.

Piper stepped forward, as if to charmspeak him, but Nico held her back.

 _We need him to come on his own,_ Nico thought.

 _If you say so,_ Piper's voice rang through his head.

Ethan was breathing heavily, a look of indecision crossing his face.

Nico held out his hand. His adrenaline rush was fading, and he was feeling the repercussions of using his powers in such vast quantities. His hand wobbled, and he almost dropped it, but then Ethan grabbed him and pulled himself up.

Ethan gave him a small nod, took his daggers, and charged Kronos.

* * *

Thalia was on the ground off to the side, holding her head and wincing. Will was kneeling beside her, light flowing from his hands and into a wound in her leg.

Kronos was dusting himself off, golden eyes flashing menacingly. The skeletons were all disassembled, scattered around his feet.

Ethan threw a knife, and Kronos deflected it easily. "Treason," he snarled.

As soon as Ethan got close enough, Kronos grabbed him by the neck and flung him into the nearest building with a force that shouldn't have been possible. Ethan's body smashed into the bricks, tumbling down to the ground where he lay still.

Kronos cracked his knuckles with an air of indifference. "So much for him."

It was calm for a few moments. Everything went quiet. The sun was down completely, and stars were beginning to emerge. Will looked up at him, desperation clouding his features.

"What the frick, man!?"

Percy stepped into view, seemingly from nowhere. "What the hell do you gain from killing us?"

Kronos smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "I will rule this city, Jackson."

Percy looked taken aback that Kronos knew his name.

"Why though?" Piper interrupted. "Can't you just live like a normal person?"

Kronos growled at her. "Don't tell me what to do, little super."

"We're going to stop you," Nico declared. He sounded much braver than he felt. "Even if it kills us."

Kronos laced his fingers. "Then so be it."

Nico swept his sword in front of him, and the darkness surrounded him like a cloak. He grabbed Piper and slipped into the shadows.

They appeared just behind him. Nico tried to drive his sword through Kronos, but he whirled around and forced them back. Kronos called out a command, and time slowed. Nico struggled against the magic, but he was stuck.

"Let. Us. Go." Piper's voice was deadly soft.

Kronos cocked his head with a smirk. "I don't take orders from weaklings."

Nico felt a rush of fury. The shadows crept towards him, and the sky darkened considerably. The temperature dropped, and Piper shivered beside him. He had never experienced such a feeling of raw power like this. Something snapped inside of him, and then he was free from Kronos' power. He felt his mouth curling into a cynical smile.

"A weakling, huh?" Nico stepped towards Kronos, and was flooded with satisfaction as he took a step back.

"You can't defeat me!" Kronos shouted, moving backwards as Nico held out his sword threateningly.

"Can't I?"

Faster than lightning, Nico swiped his sword upwards, and Kronos cried out as a gash sliced its way down his chest.

"I thought you were going to kill us!" Nico screamed, slashing Kronos open. "Where's your power now!?"

Percy stuck his foot out, and Kronos tripped, landing hard on the concrete.

Nico pressed the tip of his weapon under Kronos' neck. A drop of blood welled up, and Nico grinned. He looked insane, dust and blood covering his face and his hair sticking up wildly. In the dark, his soulless eyes glinted sadistically.

"Are you ready to die?" he murmured, exerting more pressure on the blade.

Kronos started choking. Nico watched in sardonic fascination as Kronos suffocated on his own blood.

"To the well organized mind," Nico said softly, a satirical gleam in his pitch black irises. "Death is but the next great adventure."

And with one last spasm, Kronos fell silent.

Nico slowly looked up, his anger fading. Everyone was staring at him in shock.

Will closed the distance, putting his hands on Nico's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Nico shook his head. His armor and sword dissolved into the shadows. "I'm not okay, Solace. I just killed him. In cold blood."

"I'm not going to say he deserved it," Will said quietly. "But that was a bit harsh."

Nico barked out a laugh. "Really?" His voice was heavily laced with sarcasm.

"At least he's gone," Percy said. "But seriously, Nico. Quoting Dumbledore? What's up with that?"

And when Nico laughed again, it was a real one.


	8. Epilogue

**Thank you so much to everyone who supported me and stayed patient throughout this whole story. I will be eternally grateful to everyone who reviewed with positive feedback and constructive criticism. Enjoy this epilogue, and maybe check out some of my other stories!**

* * *

After quickly calling Travis and Connor, the group of supers cleaned up the mess they made in the square. Percy used the water from the fountain to scrub away all of the blood, while Witch layered some illusions. The buried Ethan in the cemetery next to Bianca.

Percy had invited everyone over to his house to recuperate and rest, which everyone was grateful for.

His mother, Sally, was extremely welcoming and baked blue cookies for the exhausted group.

Everyone had decided, that after most of their masks being removed, that they would introduce themselves to the group.

Witch dropped her illusion, and Nico stared at her in surprise.

"Lou Ellen?"

She smiled. "Hey Nico."

Will wrapped an arm around both of them, a blinding white smile on his face. "It's a small world, di Angelo."

"Don't say my last name," Nico admonished. "It sounds weird coming out of your mouth."

Will chuckled. "First-name basis, right?"

"Right."

Suddenly Will sighed. "Things will never be same, Nico."

Nico nodded. "I know. But we'll live with it."

"So you guys are dating, right?" Lou Ellen asked, smirking.

Nico blushed, and Will laughed nervously.

"Well you never officially asked me out," Nico said, bumping his shoulder against Will's.

Will grinned. "Doesn't a romantic dinner at an Italian restaurant count?" Then he leaned forward and murmured, "Will you give me the pleasure of being your boyfriend?" Will's strawberry scent filled his nose. Their foreheads were almost touching, and Nico was filled with the airy feeling Will always seemed to give him.

Nico had a lot of mental barriers. He was always closed off.

But for the first time in his life, he wanted to open up. He wanted Will Solace to see him for who he truly was.

Not as Ghost. Not as an arch nemesis.

But as Nico di Angelo.

And Nico felt on top of the world when he said yes.

* * *

 _You taste like sunshine; you've been kissed by the morning light_

 _And I was the darkness, dancing with the stars_

 _When our lips meet, color erupts in the atmosphere_

 _Dawn is breaking; a fleeting moment_

 _When the sun can kiss the moon._

* * *

 **Ah, the fluff is too much!**


End file.
